AJCS 5(5):554-561 (2011)
ISSN:1835-2707
Effects of elemental sulfur, phosphorus, micronutrients and Paracoccus versutus on nutrient
availability of calcareous soils
Abdou A. Soaud1, Fareed H. Al Darwish2, Maher E. Saleh3, Khaled A. El-Tarabily4, M. Sofian-Azirun5
and M. Motior Rahman5*
1
Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Egypt
Aridland Agriculture, College of Food Systems, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, 17551, United Arab
Emirates
3
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Ain Shams, Cairo, 11566 Egypt
4
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, 17551, United Arab
Emirates
5
Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2
*Corresponding author: [email protected]; [email protected]
Abstract
This study was carried out in the laboratory to investigate the effects of elemental sulfur (S0), Paracoccus versutus (Pv), phosphorus
(P) and micronutrients (DTPA extractable Fe+Mn+Zn) both singly and combined on nutrient availability of calcareous soils. Soils
were collected from Al Semaih, Al Dhahrah and Melaiha in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and all soils were incubated at 40±20C for
32, 64, 96 and 128 days. Soil pH dropped and S concentration increased significantly with the addition of S0 alone or in combination
with Pv, P and micronutrients in all types of soils. Elemental S application considerably increased the electrical conductivity (EC) of
Al Semaih and Melaiha soils but reduced EC in Al Dhahrah soils at 128 days after incubation (DAI). Phosphorus availability was
higher and prolonged with the application of S0 along with P. Zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn) availability did not increase with the
individual application of S0 or P. Inoculation of Pv influenced S and P availability but had no effect on iron (Fe), Mn and Zn. The
study suggests that S0 is an effective agent for the amendment of sandy calcareous soils. Application of S0 accompanied with Pv, P
and micronutrients are essential for nutrient availability in calcareous soils.
Keywords: Calcareous soil, Elemental Sulfur, Micronutrients.
Abbreviations: DAI-days after incubation, EC-electrical conductivity, S0-elemental sulfur, Fe-iron, Mn-manganese, N-nitrogen, PvParacoccus versutus, P-phosphorus, S-sulfur, Zn-zinc, UAE-United Arab Emirates.
Introduction
S deficiency is a very common phenomenon in Asia, North
America and Western Europe. Elemental S is widely used in
Canada, New Zealand, Australia and China to alleviate S
deficiency (Slaton et al., 2001; Hu et al., 2003). Most of the
agricultural land of United Arab Emirates is calcareous soil
that contains relatively high amounts of CaCO3 and
extremely poor organic matter resulting in high pH (Abdou,
2006; Khaled et al., 2006). Poor availability of nutrients
rather than low nutrient content is one of the major factors for
the widespread occurrence of plant nutrient deficiency in
calcareous soils. The nutrient uptake of plant is governed by
numerous soil factors. Among them, high soil pH and CaCO3
contents are predominantly responsible for low availability of
plant nutrients (Kaya et al., 2009). Under unfavorable soil
conditions with high pH and CaCO3, only with application of
N, P and K fertilizer can’t resolve the nutrient deficiency.
The nutrient availability of soils can be increased with the
application of S0. Thus, there is a growing interest in S
applications to improve availability of nutrients and
overcome nutrient deficiencies in both alkaline and
calcareous soils (Dawood et al., 1985; Neilsen et al., 1993).
Because of the high cost and adverse effects of commercial
fertilizers especially N, P and K fertilizer, use of natural
sources, micronutrients and S0 may be used as a nutrient and
soil acidifier (Neilsen et al., 1993) and S0 fertilizer has
recently gained importance in agricultural production
(Bender et al., 1998; Erdal and Tarakcıoglu, 2000; Atilgan et
al., 2008). An individual application of S0 or combined with
Fe dropped soil pH in calcareous soil (Abbaspour et al.,
2004) but application of S0 combined with N fertilizer
significantly increased the availability of micronutrients
(Erdal et al., 2004). Sulfur is a constituent of the amino acids
cysteine and methionine and part of proteins that plays an
important role in the synthesis of vitamins and chlorophyll in
the cell (Marschner, 1995; Kacar and Katkat, 2007). As a
result of S deficiency, plants show retarded growth (Motior et
al., 2011) and reduction in yield and quality. The efficacy of
S0 to satisfy the S demand of crops depends, however, on
speed and magnitude of its oxidation to S, which is taken up
by plants (Yang et al., 2010). The effectiveness of S0 is
governed by its oxidation rate, which is primarily a
microbiological function. Thus physical factors such as soil
temperature and moisture play an important role in regulating
S oxidation (Janzen and Bettany, 1987). The oxidation of S
554
Table 1. Physicochemical properties of studied soil
Soil Property
Al Semaih
Al Dhahrah
Texture
Sand (%)
99.73
86.62
Silt + Clay (%)
0.27
13.38
Total CaCO3 (%)
68.17
23.65
Active CaCO3 (%)
12.50
0.00
Organic Matter (%)
0.14
0.32
8.85
10.01
EC, dS m-1
pH (1:2.5)
8.48
8.22
Soluble cations (meq L-1):
Ca
28.60
32.40
Mg
15.80
32.60
Na
29.60
24.66
K
0.91
0.65
Soluble anions (meq L-1):
Cl
63.20
85.00
1.30
3.20
HCO3
SO4
46.04
28.96
Olsen P, mg kg-1
0.36
1.31
DTPA extractable Micronutrients (mg kg-1 soil):
Fe
2.78
2.80
Mn
4.10
1.76
Zn
1.08
3.20
Cu
0.36
0.30
into H2SO4 is especially beneficial for alkaline soils for
increasing nutrient availability by reducing pH (Nielsen et al.,
1993). Elemental S is the standard acidulant applied to soil
for pH reduction (Slaton et al., 1999). The reactivity of
CaCO3 is considered an important property of soil which
influences soil chemical and rhizosphere processes (Loeppert
and Suarez, 1996) and management of soil pH for optimum
nutrient availability has to be considered for quality crop
production (Slatoon et al., 1999). Application of S0 increased
the availability of P and micronutrients to correct their
deficiencies in alkaline and calcareous soils (Hilal and AbdElfattah, 1987) and increased the chemically available P from
native soil apatite or added rock phosphate (Garcia and
Carloni, 1977), while in others it increased available P only
when P-fertilizer was added to the soil but soil P was not
affected (Gupta and Mehla, 1980). Application of S0 has been
suggested as an option with regard to reclamation of alkaline
solonetzic soils (Rupela and Tauro, 1973). The acidity
produced during S0 oxidation increases the availability of
nutrients such as P, Mn, Mg, Ca, and SO4 in soils
(Lindemann et al., 1991). The oxidation of S0 in calcareous
soils is affected by several factors such as particle size of S0,
soil moisture, temperature, pH, nutrient status and microbial
activity of the soils. Sulfur oxidation is the most rapid under
low soil pH conditions (Havlin et al., 1999). The main effect
of S0 application to soil, particularly calcareous soils and
subsequent S oxidation is the reduction in soil pH (Shadfan
and Hussen, 1985). Elemental S application increased the Zn
and Cd solubilization in soil and increased their uptake by
plants (Kayser et al., 2001). The organic P reduced while
inorganic P increased from soil acidification with the
application of S0, resulting in the availability of K, P, Fe, Zn,
Mn, and Cu (Chouliaras and Tsadilas, 1996). Iron and Mn
availability is directly associated with the status of soil pH.
Alkaline soil conditions can render Fe unavailable to plant
uptake. Zinc deficiency can occur on alkaline soils and sandy
soils with poor organic matter content. High levels of P
coupled with low levels of Zn in soil may induce Zn
deficiency. The application of S often increases the
availability of P in neutral or basic soils (Carl and Roger,
Melaiha
95.00
5.00
38.98
3.50
0.17
2.50
8.60
9.20
5.40
14.80
0.10
16.60
1.70
5.67
0.20
1.44
1.78
0.30
0.13
1996) and adequate supplies of other plant nutrients tend to
increase the absorption of P in soils. Therefore, the present
work was undertaken to investigate the effects of S0, P, Pv
and DTPA extractable micronutrients on nutrient availability
in soils from three regions which represents major areas in
UAE.
Materials and methods
Experimental design
The experiments were carried out in the laboratory of College
of Food Systems, United Arab Emirates University. Sandy
calcareous soil was collected from three regions of UAE such
as Al Semaih, Abu Dhabi (24° 28'0"N, 54°22'0"E), Al
Dhaharh, Al Ain (24°12′27″N 55°44′41″E) and Melaiha, Al
Zaid (25°21′44″N 55°23′28″E) at a depth of 0-25 cm to
represent the major areas of calcareous soils in UAE. An
individual experiment was conducted with each type of soils.
The treatments such as control, S0 (particle size < 150 µm) at
the rate of 1000 kg/ha, Pv, S0+Pv, phosphorus (P), S0+P,
S0+P+Pv, DTPA extractable Fe+Mn+Zn, S0+DTPA
extractable Fe+Mn+Zn, and S0+Pv+DTPA extractable
Fe+Mn+Zn were tested under complete randomized design
with three replications.
Management practices
A part of collected soil sample was air dried and sieved
through 1-mm stainless steel sieve and analyzed for
physicochemical properties (Table 1). Air dried 100 g soil
samples were placed into 200-ml plastic jars and incubated at
constant temperature (40±20C) for 32, 64, 96 and 128 days to
determine pH, soil salinity and nutrients availability of S, P,
Fe, Mn and Zn. Organic matter in tested soils ranged from
0.14-0.32% (Table 1). Elemental S was added at the rate of
444 mg/kg of soil corresponding to 1000 kg S0/ha and
thoroughly mixed with soil and transferred into 200-mL
plastic jars. Phosphorus was added to soil at the rate of 5 ml
solution containing 0.0418 g P2O5/100 g of soil corresponding
555
Table 2. Soil EC (dSm-1) status in incubated soil as affected by elemental sulfur, Paracoccus versutus, phosphorus and DTPA
extractable Fe+Zn+Mn
Al Semaih Soil
Al Dhahrah Soil
Melaiha Soil
Treatment
Days after incubation
Days after incubation
Days after incubation
32
64
96
128
32
64
96
128
32
64
96
128
Control
10.43
13.44
9.10
8.96
12.38
10.38
9.78
9.11
5.15
4.37
4.16
2.91
S0
9.22
10.27
9.04
8.93
12.67
8.75
8.71
7.80
3.55
3.27
2.43
2.26
Pv
10.53
11.05
9.51
8.85
10.93
8.73
7.58
7.53
3.09
3.28
2.31
2.30
S0+Pv
9.56
11.82
8.93
8.59
11.70
10.46
9.75
9.50
5.92
4.62
4.40
3.92
P
10.57
12.20
9.85
9.66
11.03
9.10
8.81
7.98
3.74
3.29
2.60
2.59
S0+P
11.25
12.34
11.20
9.99
13.77
10.90
9.96
9.64
4.93
4.55
4.34
4.19
S0+P+Pv
10.74
12.55
10.27
10.06
14.34
10.79
9.53
9.00
6.09
5.35
5.06
4.40
Fe+Mn+Zn
10.41
11.02
10.56
7.27
12.18
10.85
8.68
8.66
3.50
2.97
2.70
2.33
S0+Fe+Mn+Zn
11.52
11.57
10.92
10.44
13.10
10.51
9.79
9.58
5.62
4.72
4.39
3.87
S0+Pv+Fe+Mn+Zn
11.91
12.46
10.39
10.07
11.99
10.12
9.88
9.65
5.97
4.84
4.83
4.33
LSD 0.05
2.18
2.25
1.88
0.51
1.54
2.47
3.22
0.83
0.70
1.64
0.71
0.45
Table 3. Soil pH in incubated soil as affected by elemental sulfur, Paracoccus versutus, phosphorus and DTPA extractable
Fe+Zn+Mn
Al Semaih Soil
Al Dhahrah Soil
Melaiha Soil
Treatment
Days after Incubation
Days after Incubation
Days after Incubation
32
64
96
128
32
64
96
128
32
64
96
128
Control
7.94
8.14
8.29
8.36
8.03
7.89
8.00
8.29
8.17
8.18
8.29
8.41
S0
7.65
7.88
8.04
8.28
7.23
7.47
7.59
7.85
7.87
7.90
7.95
7.99
Pv
7.92
8.15
8.30
8.24
7.89
8.06
8.19
8.36
8.23
8.24
8.36
8.53
S0+Pv
7.38
7.86
8.15
8.21
7.30
7.23
7.41
7.72
7.75
7.83
7.88
7.98
P
7.84
8.13
8.36
8.48
7.70
7.74
7.89
8.20
8.27
8.31
8.35
8.62
S0+P
7.39
7.75
8.24
8.58
7.07
7.19
7.33
7.63
7.70
7.73
7.91
7.97
S0+P+Pv
6.97
7.71
8.11
8.39
6.91
7.07
7.28
7.48
7.47
7.89
7.82
7.79
Fe+Mn+Zn
7.92
8.11
8.39
8.55
7.94
8.08
8.08
8.36
8.25
8.28
8.33
8.57
S0+Fe+Mn+Zn
7.50
7.83
8.07
8.33
7.29
7.34
7.51
7.79
7.85
7.93
7.96
8.03
S0+Pv+Fe+Mn+Zn
7.31
7.77
7.99
8.25
7.32
7.32
7.51
7.57
7.70
7.92
7.95
8.03
LSD 0.05
0.08
0.08
0.10
0.06
0.09
0.19
0.12
0.13
0.11
0.07
0.08
0.07
to 150 kg P2O5/ha in the form of KH2PO4. Iron, Mn and Zn
were added to soils at the rate of 5 ml solution containing
0.752, 0.543 and 0.627 mg Fe, Mn and Zn, corresponding to
30.0, 10.0 and 10.0 kg EDTA-Fe (6.0 % Fe), EDTA-Mn
(13.0 % Mn) and EDTA-Zn (15.0 % Zn) /ha, respectively.
The soil samples were saturated with distilled water in the
presence and or absence of 5 ml Pv as per treatment schedule.
Local sulfur-oxidizing bacteria Pv (CBS 114155) was used
which was previously isolated from the western regions of
the UAE (Khaled et al., 2006).The populations of sulfuroxidized bacteria were used as colony forming units of per ml
(cfu/ml) 73.16 x 104 (SE±4.75).
measurements were carried out using Orion model 120
microprocessor conductivity meters. Available SO4-S, as an
indicator of S oxidation, was measured using inductive
coupled plasma emission spectrophotometer (ICP), Varian
model Vista MPX. Available P was extracted using 0.05M
(pH 8.5) NaHCO3 solution using soil: solution ratio 1:20
(Kuo, 1996) and determined by spectrophotometer (Murphy
and Riley, 1962). In the DTPA-extracts, available Fe, Mn and
Zn were determined as a measure of S oxidation effects on
nutrient availability using ICP.
Soil analysis
Statistical analysis was carried out by one-way ANOVA
using general linear model to evaluate significant differences
between means at 95% level of confidence. It was performed
using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS, 2003). Following
the differences among treatment means were determined
using the Fisher's Protected least significant differences
(LSD) comparison method P = 0.05.
Soils were saturated and incubated at 40±20C and dried for 4
days and then re-saturated again with distilled water. This
process of saturation-drying-saturation is called wetting and
drying cycle (W/D). the wetting and drying cycles were
repeated at regular 4 days interval. The soil samples were
withdrawn at 32, 64, 96, and 128 DAI from each treatment
and thereafter crushed and sieved through 1-mm screen.
Dried soil samples were crushed and the soil pH, EC,
available S, P and micronutrients were determined. Soil pH
was determined in soil: water suspensions (1:2.5), as an
indicator for S oxidation to H2SO4. The pH was measured
using a combined pH meter model 900A. In the H2Osaturation extracts, EC was measured as an indicator for
dissolution of CaCO3 by the H2SO4 produced. EC
Statistical analysis
Results
Soil salinity in calcareous soils
Initial EC of tested soils were 8.85, 10.01 and 2.50 in Al
Semaih, Al Dhahrah and Melaiha, respectively (Table 1). Soil
EC was significantly influenced by the various treatments
556
Table 4. Sulfur concentration (meq l-1) in incubated soil as affected by elemental sulfur, Paracoccus versutus, phosphorus and DTPA
extractable Fe+Zn+Mn
Al Semaih Soil
Al Dhahrah Soil
Melaiha Soil
Treatment
Days after Incubation
Days after Incubation
Days after Incubation
32
64
96
128
32
64
96
128
32
64
96
Control
233.2
167.4
175.3
155.9
130.1
111.9
92.5
87.7
31.5
22.3
19.5
S0
267.7
238.0
192.5
187.6
264.5
246.7
206.0
198.8
191.7
176.0
166.3
Pv
252.3
231.1
196.1
165.2
142.0
125.2
98.4
91.5
33.8
23.9
22.2
S0+Pv
351.1
297.8
203.1
181.0
272.8
244.1
238.3
203.7
306.0
185.4
153.5
P
255.5
240.8
189.1
155.3
168.2
120.6
79.4
93.8
33.4
22.4
21.7
S0+P
351.6
288.5
223.2
178.2
302.8
264.3
238.6
222.1
194.3
201.4
178.7
S0+P+Pv
429.7
327.5
255.6
214.4
376.3
289.5
243.9
232.5
268.4
208.3
192.1
Fe+Mn+Zn
214.8
238.7
166.2
157.6
153.7
129.2
77.3
66.4
38.7
29.7
25.9
S0+Fe+Mn+Zn
287.5
275.7
234.7
207.2
290.7
232.6
229.5
193.1
219.1
172.1
171.1
S0+Pv+Fe+Mn+Zn
383.9
313.3
258.1
196.9
278.8
183.2
241.7
198.7
326.0
189.0
176.8
LSD 0.05
36.6
34.9
30.9
18.1
51.2
84.7
38.5
36.1
37.3
16.9
13.1
128
15.4
156.1
19.7
145.5
20.6
148.6
165.7
22.2
136.7
142.2
11.1
Table 5. Phosphorus (mg/kg) concentration in incubated soil as affected by elemental sulfur, Paracoccus versutus, phosphorus and
DTPA extractable Fe+Zn+Mn
Al Semaih Soil
Al Dhahrah Soil
Melaiha Soil
Treatment
Days after Incubation
Days after Incubation
Days after Incubation
32
64
96
128
32
64
96
128
32
64
96
128
Control
33.0
14.4
12.9
3.3
75.3
52.3
46.8
25.4
17.1
5.4
4.8
3.5
S0
38.9
23.1
13.1
2.2
58.2
47.5
44.4
18.4
20.5
5.9
4.1
3.4
Pv
26.1
10.0
9.7
3.3
66.4
48.5
45.5
21.3
18.5
5.0
4.7
3.2
S0+Pv
25.3
8.8
7.5
2.4
59.5
38.4
26.8
15.3
18.9
5.0
4.6
4.1
P
295.5
84.7
58.0
30.0
297.7 117.0 104.0
92.5
334.4
37.5
34.8
32.0
S0+P
319.9
61.3
48.2
31.2
291.5 156.0 154.1
65.7
348.2
72.0
30.6
28.7
S0+P+Pv
334.4
77.5
75.7
28.6
267.1 132.5 123.8
68.3
342.1
56.9
45.2
37.5
Fe+Mn+Zn
27.9
16.0
9.2
3.2
77.7
46.5
38.6
21.4
17.6
7.7
5.4
4.3
S0+Fe+Mn+Zn
27.2
8.5
8.4
2.4
67.9
32.6
30.1
14.3
21.3
4.7
4.6
3.0
S0+Pv+Fe+Mn+Zn
28.7
9.2
8.2
2.1
67.4
39.9
33.4
12.1
68.0
6.1
4.6
3.0
LSD 0.05
17.4
3.9
8.3
2.7
28.5
15.1
22.6
6.3
52.8
9.9
6.1
5.1
in all soils (Table 2). In Al Semaih soils, EC reached peak at
64 DAI averaged over the treatments and declined over time
in all treatments. Soil EC considerably dropped by addition
of S0+Pv and micronutrients at 96 DAI and onwards. In Al
Dhahrah soils, EC significantly dropped with the application
of S0 and Pv at 64 DAI and but in other treatments reducing
trend was observed from 96 DAI and onwards. In Melaiha
soils, EC reached peak at 32 DAI and thereafter declined over
time regardless of treatments but it was higher than the initial
status. Soil EC dropped significantly from the initial status
with application of S0 and Pv at 96 DAI and onwards. In Al
Daharah soils, the reduction rate of EC was relatively higher
than Al Semaih and Melaiha soils.
Soil pH in calcareous soils
Soil pH was significantly affected by the treatments in all
types of soils. In Al Semaih soils, pH dropped 0.54 to 1.51
units from the initial pH of 8.48 at 32 DAI (Table 1). A sharp
decline (0.83 to 1.51 units) was noticed with the application
of S0 alone or combined with Pv, P and micronutrients at 32
DAI and thereafter slowly increased over time (Table 3).
Phosphorus singly or combined with S0 and Pv failed to drop
soil pH at 128 DAI. In Al Dhahrah soils, the reducing trend of
pH was observed up to 64 DAI from the initial pH. Soil pH
dropped significantly by the combined effect of S0+Pv+P
followed by S0+P at 32 DAI and thereafter rose slowly but
soil pH increased rapidly over time with the application of
Pv, P and micronutrient treatments in all types of soils (Table
3). Single application of Pv and micronutrients could not drop
soil pH at 128 DAI. In Melaiha soils, pH dropped at 32 DAI
and thereafter gradually rose over time in all treatments. Soil
pH reducing rate was conspicuous with the application of S0
alone or combined with Pv, P and micronutrients.
Concentration of S in calcareous soils
Sulfur concentration significantly increased in all treatments
throughout the incubation period in all tested soils. The
highest concentration of S was recorded from the combined
effect of S0, P and Pv in Al Semaih and Al Dhahrah soils
while in Melaiha soils, the highest concentration of S was
obtained from application of micronutrients along with S0
and Pv followed by S0+Pv at 32 DAI and thereafter declined
gradually over time (Table 4). The wetting and drying cycles
led to increasing S concentration in control and S-untreated
soils too but their reducing rate was remarkably lower than S0
treated soils. In all tested soils, S0 treated soils either alone or
in combined with P, Pv or micronutrients obtained higher
concentration of S, regardless of incubation period and
declined gradually over time.
Concentration of P in calcareous soils
The P concentration influenced with the application of P
along with S0 and Pv. Phosphorus concentration was
remarkably higher in all tested soils compared to initial status
557
Table 6. Iron (mg/kg) concentration in incubated soil as affected by elemental sulfur, Paracoccus versutus, phosphorus and DTPA
extractable Fe+Zn+Mn
Al Semaih Soil
Al Dhahrah Soil
Melaiha Soil
Treatment
Days after Incubation
Days after Incubation
Days after Incubation
32
64
96
128
32
64
96
128
32
64
96
128
Control
2.03
2.1
2.07
1.35
3.16
2.97
2.70
1.89
1.22
1.19
1.00
0.91
S0
1.86
1.95
1.8
1.38
2.64
3.00
2.29
1.67
1.31
1.2
1.09
1.05
Pv
1.98
2.06
1.85
1.5
3.03
3.08
2.85
1.97
1.34
1.25
1.09
0.97
S0+Pv
1.80
2.04
1.75
1.51
2.76
2.85
2.36
1.56
1.37
1.32
1.09
1.03
P
1.65
2.00
1.85
1.46
2.19
2.73
2.59
1.86
1.44
1.4
1.13
1.11
S0+P
1.56
1.99
1.77
1.23
2.41
2.55
2.39
1.38
1.43
1.24
1.24
0.95
S0+P+Pv
1.36
2.15
1.92
1.27
2.34
2.53
2.18
1.43
1.34
1.22
1.18
1
Fe+Mn+Zn
4.18
3.83
3.14
1.91
4.87
4.83
4.45
3.22
3.05
3.02
2.38
1.79
S0+Fe+Mn+Zn
4.27
3.72
3.09
2.10
4.69
4.67
4.45
3.05
2.83
2.62
2.36
2.07
S0+Pv+Fe+Mn+Zn
4.34
3.62
3.04
1.77
4.27
4.15
3.85
3.03
3.22
2.24
2.15
1.99
LSD 0.05
0.52
0.37
0.21
0.35
0.66
0.86
0.43
0.29
0.14
0.56
0.37
0.15
Table 7. Zinc concentration in incubated soil as affected by elemental sulfur, Paracoccus
extractable Fe+Zn+Mn
Al Semaih Soil
Al Dhahrah Soil
Treatment
Days after Incubation
Days after Incubation
32
64
96
128
32
64
96
128
Control
0.80
0.52
0.62
0.61
3.07
1.52
1.97
1.77
S0
0.82
0.62
0.68
0.71
2.36
2.65
2.13
1.93
Pv
0.91
0.56
0.55
0.96
2.39
2.47
2.18
1.85
S0+Pv
0.98
0.85
0.63
1.01
2.39
2.51
2.33
1.85
P
0.68
0.82
0.62
0.73
1.79
2.31
1.94
1.71
S0+P
0.56
0.64
0.55
0.46
2.34
1.71
2.46
1.70
S0+P+Pv
0.55
0.85
0.66
0.49
2.50
1.90
1.79
1.81
Fe+Mn+Zn
4.26
3.72
2.89
1.83
6.26
5.49
5.29
4.92
S0+Fe+Mn+Zn
4.23
3.43
3.01
2.35
7.50
7.12
6.15
5.14
S0+Pv+Fe+Mn+Zn
4.39
2.99
3.16
1.99
7.52
7.04
5.33
5.28
LSD 0.05
0.80
0.58
0.64
0.73
0.56
3.25
1.56
0.40
of P and it might be due to frequent wetting and drying of
soils. In Al Semaih soils, P concentration varied from 295.5
to 334.4 mg/kg at 32 DAI and drastically reduced over time
by application of P singly or combined with S0 and Pv. In Al
Dhahrah and Melaiha soils, P concentration ranged from
267.1 to 297.7 and 334.4 to 348.2 mg/kg, respectively at 32
DAI and thereafter declined sharply over incubation time
(Table 5). In Melaiha soils, P concentration was a bit higher
than Al Semaih and Al Dharah soils with the application of P
combined with S0 and Pv but it was higher in Al Semaih and
Al Dhahrah soils with other treatments.
versutus, phosphorus and DTPA
Melaiha Soil
Days after Incubation
32
64
96
128
0.23
0.19
0.18
0.34
0.21
0.19
0.17
0.21
0.20
0.20
0.17
0.21
0.21
0.20
0.30
0.20
0.24
0.24
0.21
0.21
0.21
0.23
0.18
0.19
0.20
0.19
0.18
0.19
3.17
3.90
2.30
2.04
3.21
3.14
2.60
2.42
3.10
2.03
2.28
2.23
0.21
1.00
0.75
0.27
concentration of Zn was obtained
by addition of
micronutrients singly or in combined with S0 or S0+Pv at 32
DAI and thereafter declined gradually over time but other
treatments showed lower Zn concentration compared to
initial status of Zn in all types of soils (Table 1). In Al
Dhahrah soils, Zn concentration was appreciably higher than
in Al Semaih and Melaiha soils.
Concentration of Mn in calcareous soils
The concentration of Fe was varied by various treatments in
all tested soils (Table 6). Iron concentration was much higher
with the application of micronutrients alone or in combined
with S0 or S0+Pv at 32 DAI while other treatments had lower
concentration of Fe compared to initial status of Fe in soils.
In Al Dhahrah soils, Fe concentration was slightly higher
than Al Semaih and Melaiha soils. The higher concentration
of Fe was continued up to 128 days with the application of
micronutrients individually or in combined with S0 or
micronutrients with S0 +Pv compared to initial status of Fe in
soils.
Manganese concentration was also significantly affected by
various treatments in all tested soils. In Al Dhahrah soils, Mn
concentration was significantly higher than Al Semaih and
Melaiha soils. Maximum concentration of Mn was recorded
with application of micronutrients combined with S0+Pv
followed by micronutrients with S0 at 32 DAI and continued
up to 128 days in Al Semaih soils. In Al Dharah soils, the
highest concentration of Mn was obtained from
micronutrients along with S0 followed by micronutrients with
S0+Pv at 32 DAI and thereafter sharply declined over
incubation time. In Melaiha soils, the highest concentration
of Mn was obtained from micronutrients with S0 followed by
micronutrients with S0+Pv but concentration of Mn was
lower than the initial status where Pv, P and micronutrients
were applied (Table 8).
Concentration of Zn in calcareous soils
Discussion
The concentration of Zn was significantly influenced by the
treatments in all types of soils (Table 7). The higher
In this study, the lowest soil pH values were noticed at 32
DAI in most of the treatments in all soils. Soil pH is an
Concentration of Fe in calcareous soils
558
Table 8. Manganese concentration in incubated soil as affected by elemental sulfur, Paracoccus versutus, phosphorus and DTPA
extractable Fe+Zn+Mn
Al Semaih Soil
Al Dhahrah Soil
Melaiha Soil
Treatment
Days after Incubation
Days after Incubation
Days after Incubation
32
64
96
128
32
64
96
128
32
64
96
128
Control
0.40
0.32
0.24
0.23
1.41
1.26
0.84
1.00
1.39
1.00
0.87
0.97
S0
1.51
3.20
3.44
3.17
3.05
3.26
3.94
4.47
4.04
3.79
3.08
2.89
Pv
0.38
0.52
0.91
3.61
1.74
1.32
1.23
1.09
1.74
0.95
0.89
0.91
S0+Pv
2.63
3.45
4.11
3.76
3.33
3.87
4.53
4.27
5.19
3.81
3.18
3.07
P
0.41
0.37
0.30
0.23
1.33
2.21
1.20
1.21
1.41
1.18
1.10
0.89
S0+P
0.91
3.42
1.65
0.20
2.30
2.83
3.93
3.57
3.38
3.58
3.14
3.13
S0+P+Pv
2.69
3.16
2.97
1.65
4.05
4.03
3.90
2.82
4.80
4.06
3.35
1.61
Fe+Mn+Zn
3.20
2.63
1.38
0.69
4.60
4.41
3.40
3.40
2.70
2.47
1.36
1.55
S0+Fe+Mn+Zn
7.95
6.47
5.10
5.05
9.46
8.83
8.44
7.49
7.16
6.74
6.59
6.04
S0+Pv+Fe+Mn+Zn
8.07
7.69
7.28
5.09
8.95
8.40
8.13
7.96
9.31
6.21
5.70
4.10
LSD 0.05
0.66
1.72
1.12
1.82
0.27
2.16
1.30
0.53
0.71
1.98
0.71
0.72
important chemical property that affects nutrient availability
and microbial activity. Trace metals such as Fe, Zn and Mn
are readily available at lower pH than major nutrients. Soil
pH dropped due to the various treatments and soil properties
during incubation. Soil pH dropped with the addition of S0
individually or combined with Pv inoculation, P and DTPA
extractable micronutrients and also on exposing the soils to
the wetting and drying cycles in all treatments. Motior et al.,
(2011) reported that application of S0 combined with N
fertilizer, soil pH dropped from 9.08 to 7.56 in Al Zaid and
Al Semaih soils in UAE. Similar results were also obtained
by Lopez-Aguirre et al., (1999) who found that addition of
varying levels of S (0, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg S/g of soil) in
alkaline tropical soil, lowered the pH from 8.5 to 7.2 at 45
DAI. In this study, the initial soil pH was 8.22, 8.48 and 8.60
in Al Dhahrah, Al Semaih and Melaiha soils, respectively
(Table 1) and with the addition of S0 individually or
combined with Pv and P, soil pH dropped 1.13, 1.31 and 1.51
units from the initial pH at Melaiha, Al Dhahrah and Al
Semaih, respectively (Table 3). Al Semaih soils is
characterized by a high content of CaCO3 (68.17 %)
compared with Al Dhahrah (23.65%) and Melaiha (38.98 %)
soils. The acidifying effect leading to partial neutralization of
CaCO3 can be one of the most important factors for increased
nutrient concentration. In the present study all soils are rich
in CaCO3 (23.65 to 68.17 %) and with the application of S0,
soil pH dropped proportionately with CaCO3 content in Al
Semaih soils followed by Al Dhahrah and Melaiha soils, with
the exception that in Melaiha soils, the pH reducing trend
fluctuated a bit with CaCO3 content in the soil. Kaplan and
Omran (1998) and Erdal et al., (2004) reported that soil pH
decreased by 0.11-0.37 unit with the application of S0,
resulting in an increase in nutrient concentration, plant
nutrient uptake, chlorophyll concentration, root nodules and
dry matter production. Similar results were also reported by
Motior et al., (2011) who found that with application of S0
significantly increased nutrient uptake and dry matter
accumulation of maize in sandy calcareous soils of UAE. Soil
pH decreased 0.24 units over time when soil was amended by
S at rates of 2.5 and 5.0 g S/kg of soil (Cifuentes and
Lindemann, 1993; Kaplan and Orman, 1998). Soil inoculated
by S-oxidizing bacteria along with higher rates of S
application (200g S/kg) significantly dropped soil pH from
7.5 to 3.9 under greenhouse conditions in Kuwaiti soils (AlDaher et al., 2003). During the oxidation of S, soil pH drops
and thus changes unavailable form of most nutrients to
available form for plant uptake (Kaya et al., 2009). Erdal et
al., (2000) reported that application of S0 to the soil resulted
in 0.11-0.37 unit drop in soil pH. Kaya et al., (2009) showed
that soil pH dropped by 0.37-1.08 units after the application
of waste containing S compared to a decline in soil pH of
0.37-0.51 units after the application of S0 alone (Orman and
Kaplan, 2000). In Melaiha and Al Semaih soils, EC increased
with the application of S0 singly or in combination,
regardless of treatment. In Al Dhahrah soils, EC dropped at
64 DAI (Table 2) and onwards with either a single or
combined application of S0, Pv and P. Iron concentration
increased similarly with applications of S0 and S-containing
waste depending on the drop in pH (Erdal et al., 2006).
Kalbasi et al., (1988) suggested that the application of S
changes the pH of the soil or rhizosphere from alkaline to
acidic and result in the increase of Fe concentration in plants.
The P concentration significantly increased over incubation
time in all soils with the single application of P and combined
with S0, Pv or S0+Pv in all types of soils. Several studies
have indicated previously that application of S0 in calcareous
soils did not affect both native and applied P availability
(Falatah, 1998; Lindemann et al., 1991) whilst others have
shown that accompaniment of S0 with P fertilizer applied to
calcareous soils increase P availability (Kaplan and Orman,
1998; Saleh, 2001). Saleh (2001) found that application of S0
in calcareous soil released significant amounts of P from the
soil. He also showed that available soil P increased with S or
with the wetting and drying cycles of calcareous soils. It has
been reported that application of S0 with Thiobacillus spp in
Iranian calcareous soils significantly increased the
availability of P and the uptake of P in maize plants grown
under greenhouse conditions (Besharati and Rastin, 1999).
Similarly laboratory incubation of wettable S0 with
calcareous soils at the rate of 120 kg S/ha in the absence and
presence of farmyard manure increased the amounts of
DTPA-extracted Fe, Mn and Zn (Saleh, 2001). During
incubation the total CaCO3 content and SO4 concentration in
soil may affect the oxidation process in S amended soil. Soils
inoculated with Pv has a significant effect on the
concentration of SO4 and the application of S to noninoculated soils stimulates the growth of S-oxidizing
microorganisms. However, several studies have confirmed
the importance of soil inoculation with S-oxidizing bacteria
to improve the S0 oxidation process in calcareous soils
(Besharati and Rastin, 1999; Al-Daher et al., 2003).
Regardless of incubation time, application of S0 in soils
increased the concentration of available S in both inoculated
and non-inoculated tested soils. In all soils, the increase of S
concentration in non sulfur-treated samples as a result of the
wetting and drying cycles is probably due to the hydrolysis of
precipitated sulfate-bearing minerals in these soils. Similar
results were obtained by Cifuentes and Lindemann (1993)
and they concluded that the application of S into calcareous
soils, (2.5 and 5 g S/kg of soil) under laboratory conditions,
559
increased SO4 by about 246 mg/kg. Variations in Mn
behavior, against Fe and Zn, might be related to the solid
phase dominance in the tested soils where CaCO3 is
considered as the major active solid phase compared to the
other reactive phase. The sorption tendency of CaCO3 toward
Mn is higher than its affinity toward Fe and Zn, while soil
organic matter and Fe hydroxides prefer the sorption and
initiate complex formation with Fe and Zn rather than with
Mn and Zn, which can also be fixed or initiate complexes
with clay minerals (Ford and Sparks, 2000). Because of the
closed complexation of Mn with carbonate in the tested soils,
the Mn release from the soil could be interpreted to be the
result of S application being a soil acidifier. Thus the
application of S0 in calcareous soils enhanced S0 oxidation
consistently and increased Mn availability in the field and did
not affect the other micronutrients (Cifuentes and
Lindemann, 1993).
Conclusion
Soil properties changed with the application of S0 and the
oxidation of S0 resulted in direct chemical changes through
the lowering of soil pH and an increased S concentration in
all soils. Elemental S application considerably increased the
EC in Al Semaih and Melaiha soils but reduced EC in Al
Dhahrah soils at 128 DAI. Phosphorus availability increased
and prolonged with the application of P along with S0 and Pv.
Inoculation of soils with Pv alone had little effect on nutrient
availability but S0 showed a positive response on the
amendment of calcareous soil. Elemental S0 along with Pv, P
and DTPA micronutrients played a significant role with
regard to nutrient availability in calcareous soils in UAE.
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by a grant from the United Arab
Emirates University and Sulfur Project funded by the Japan
Cooperation Center, Petroleum (JCCP). The authors would
like to thank Prof. Gharib Sayed Ali, Advisor of DVC for
Scientific Research and Prof. Abdel Alim Metwally, Dean of
College of Food Systems, UAEU and Mr. Koichi Kujirai,
Executive Director, JCCP, Prof. Satoshi Matsumoto, Faculty
of Bioresources Science, Akita Prefectural University, Japan,
for their scientific guidance.
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